Ada Wells
Name: Ada Wells (née Pike)
Date of Birth: 29 April 1863
Date of Death: 22 March 1933
Summary
Feminist, social worker, teacher, city councillor.
I established the Canterbury Women’s Institute, and was a founding member of the National Council of Women of New Zealand; I was also the first secretary. I was the first woman to be elected to the Christchurch City Council.
I was born in England but immigrated to New Zealand in 1873, when I settled with my parents and siblings in Christchurch. After my schooling, I spent a short period teaching, then I got married in 1884. Married life was not kind to me, and I was self-reliant for most of the marriage – I taught and massage and healing services in order to support my family.
I joined the suffrage movement in the late 1880s and put my organisational skills to good use there. After New Zealand women won the vote, rather than retire from public life, I continued to work, founding the Canterbury Women’s Institute in 1892. I was heavily involved with community advocacy groups in the later part of my life, from the National Peace Council to the Prison-Gate Mission, which helped to rehabilitate prisoners.
I was voted onto the Christchurch City Council in 1917 – the first woman to do so – and this is what I’m best remembered for.
Work Experience
c.1882-c.1884: Assistant teacher at Christchurch Girls’ High School
mid-late 1880s: Itinerant teacher; massage therapist/healer
1917: Christchurch City Council, elected member
Volunteer Experience
1892: Canterbury Women’s Institute, Founder
1896: National Council of Women of New Zealand, Founding member, secretary
1898: Canterbury Children’s Aid Society, campaigned
1899-1906: Canterbury United Charitable Aid Board, elected member
Undated: National Peace Council of New Zealand, member
Education
1874-1876: Avonside School
1876: Christchurch West School
1877-1881: Christchurch West Schol (pupil-teacher)
1882: Graduated BA, Canterbury College
Honours and Awards
Personal Interests
Personal Life
I was born in 1863 in Oxfordshire, England. I am one of five children (four girls, one boy). The whole family immigrated to New Zealand in 1873, and we settled in Christchurch.
I married Harry Wells in January 1884. Harry was an organist. We had four children of our own – three girls and one boy – but home life was hard because of Harry’s drinking and his temper.
In part because of my home life, I spent my adult years fighting for women’s rights and economic independence, particularly in Christchurch.
References
'Pioneer women: the first secretary of the National Council'. Woman To-day (June 1937): 50
Fogarty, Philippa. 'Wells, Ada', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 1-Apr-2014. URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/biographies/2w11/wells-ada
Grimshaw, P. A. 'Wells, Ada'. In An encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ed. A. H. McLintock. Wellington, 1966
Date of Birth: 29 April 1863
Date of Death: 22 March 1933
Summary
Feminist, social worker, teacher, city councillor.
I established the Canterbury Women’s Institute, and was a founding member of the National Council of Women of New Zealand; I was also the first secretary. I was the first woman to be elected to the Christchurch City Council.
I was born in England but immigrated to New Zealand in 1873, when I settled with my parents and siblings in Christchurch. After my schooling, I spent a short period teaching, then I got married in 1884. Married life was not kind to me, and I was self-reliant for most of the marriage – I taught and massage and healing services in order to support my family.
I joined the suffrage movement in the late 1880s and put my organisational skills to good use there. After New Zealand women won the vote, rather than retire from public life, I continued to work, founding the Canterbury Women’s Institute in 1892. I was heavily involved with community advocacy groups in the later part of my life, from the National Peace Council to the Prison-Gate Mission, which helped to rehabilitate prisoners.
I was voted onto the Christchurch City Council in 1917 – the first woman to do so – and this is what I’m best remembered for.
Work Experience
c.1882-c.1884: Assistant teacher at Christchurch Girls’ High School
mid-late 1880s: Itinerant teacher; massage therapist/healer
1917: Christchurch City Council, elected member
Volunteer Experience
1892: Canterbury Women’s Institute, Founder
1896: National Council of Women of New Zealand, Founding member, secretary
1898: Canterbury Children’s Aid Society, campaigned
1899-1906: Canterbury United Charitable Aid Board, elected member
Undated: National Peace Council of New Zealand, member
Education
1874-1876: Avonside School
1876: Christchurch West School
1877-1881: Christchurch West Schol (pupil-teacher)
1882: Graduated BA, Canterbury College
Honours and Awards
Personal Interests
Personal Life
I was born in 1863 in Oxfordshire, England. I am one of five children (four girls, one boy). The whole family immigrated to New Zealand in 1873, and we settled in Christchurch.
I married Harry Wells in January 1884. Harry was an organist. We had four children of our own – three girls and one boy – but home life was hard because of Harry’s drinking and his temper.
In part because of my home life, I spent my adult years fighting for women’s rights and economic independence, particularly in Christchurch.
References
'Pioneer women: the first secretary of the National Council'. Woman To-day (June 1937): 50
Fogarty, Philippa. 'Wells, Ada', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 1-Apr-2014. URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/biographies/2w11/wells-ada
Grimshaw, P. A. 'Wells, Ada'. In An encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ed. A. H. McLintock. Wellington, 1966